Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Odendaal.
Hi Heather, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I often joke that WNORTH exists because I couldn’t find the community I was looking for.
Before founding WNORTH, I spent my career in corporate partnerships, procurement, and event strategy, working with organizations like Molson Coors, Constellation Brands, YPO, and later building my own event agency. Throughout that journey, I saw firsthand how powerful the right room could be. One conversation, one introduction, or one mentor could completely change the trajectory of someone’s career.
In 2014, I applied to attend a high-level women’s leadership conference and wasn’t accepted.
Instead of dwelling on the rejection, I asked myself a different question: What would the community I was looking for actually look like?
That question became WNORTH.
In 2015, I hosted the very first WNORTH Conference in Whistler, Canada. At the time, I thought I was creating a single annual event. But after our second conference, women kept telling me the same thing:
“I want more WNORTH in my life.”
That feedback shaped every major decision we’ve made over the past decade.
We launched intimate Connect Dinners in cities across North America, the U.K., and Brazil. We introduced year-round membership. We built chapter communities, pivoted to virtual programming during the pandemic, and then evolved again into destination leadership experiences where members intentionally travel to spend meaningful time together.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that community isn’t static. It has to evolve alongside the people it serves.
Today, WNORTH is very different from the organization I imagined eleven years ago. Our membership has naturally shifted from primarily high-potential mid-career women to a community of senior executives, founders, investors, and changemakers. More than half of our newest members are entrepreneurs, and the conversations have become increasingly focused on influence, legacy, and building what’s next.
Looking back, I’m proud that we’ve welcomed more than 20,000 attendees, hosted 500+ leadership experiences, and featured 500+ speakers across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
But those numbers aren’t what I’m most proud of.
What matters most is that thousands of women have found trusted relationships, opportunities, business partners, board roles, investors, mentors, and lifelong friendships through this community.
Today, my work continues to evolve. Alongside WNORTH, I’m increasingly focused on exploring the future of leadership through initiatives like our upcoming North of Now podcast and bringing together leaders who are redefining how we gather, lead, and create impact in a rapidly changing world.
In many ways, I’m still doing exactly what I set out to do in 2015: creating the room I wish had existed when I needed it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think that’s true of any business that’s built to last.
The biggest challenge came during the pandemic. As an organization built around bringing people together in person, we had to completely reinvent ourselves almost overnight. We shifted to virtual conferences, leadership summits, and networking experiences to ensure our community stayed connected during a time when many people felt isolated. Looking back, that period reinforced that what we were really building wasn’t just events; it was a community that was deeply needed at that time.
Another lesson has been learning to evolve instead of becoming attached to the original vision. WNORTH started as a single annual conference, then grew into city-based events, membership, virtual programming, and today, destination leadership gatherings. Every major evolution has come from listening to our members and asking, “What do they need now?”
Finally, we’ve made a conscious decision not to chase growth for growth’s sake. There have been opportunities to make our events bigger and our membership less selective, but we’ve intentionally chosen to remain curated. We believe meaningful relationships are built in smaller rooms, and protecting that experience has been one of the reasons WNORTH has continued to thrive more than a decade later.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
WNORTH is an award-winning leadership network that exists to develop more women into senior decision-making positions.
We bring together accomplished women from corporate, entrepreneurial, and public sector leadership because we believe that leadership doesn’t happen in isolation. The right relationships, conversations, and opportunities can change the trajectory of a career and ultimately influence the organizations and communities those leaders serve.
The “W” in WNORTH stands for both **Women** and **We**, reflecting our belief that leadership is strengthened through community. “North” represents our collective compass: a shared commitment to advancing toward greater gender equity at the highest levels of leadership. Everything we do is designed to help women navigate their next leadership summit with greater confidence, connection, and support.
Over the past decade, we’ve intentionally evolved beyond traditional networking. Today, WNORTH is known for curating transformational leadership experiences that blend meaningful conversations with exceptional environments. Whether it’s our flagship Whistler Conference, executive dinners, destination leadership retreats, or intimate gatherings across Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., every experience is designed to foster authentic relationships rather than transactional networking.
Today, our application-based community includes more than 1,700 members, averaging 10–15 years of leadership experience. While many are senior corporate executives, more than half of our newest members are founders and entrepreneurs, creating a unique environment where business leaders learn from one another across industries and sectors.
Over the past ten years, we’ve hosted more than 450 leadership experiences, welcomed 20,000+ participants, and featured 500+ global thought leaders, partnering with organizations including Virgin Unite, TD Bank, PwC, SAP, Thinkific, and Instagram to create programming that advances leadership and innovation.
What I’m most proud of isn’t the growth—it’s the trust.
WNORTH has become a place where women find board opportunities, business partners, executive roles, mentors, investors, and lifelong friends. When members tell us that a conversation at one of our gatherings changed the direction of their career or gave them the confidence to pursue a bigger opportunity, that’s when I know we’re fulfilling our mission.
At its heart, WNORTH isn’t just about helping women get a seat at the table. It’s about helping them build the confidence, community, and influence to shape the future from that seat.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that if you want to build something that lasts, you have to spend as much time working on the business as you do working in it.
For years, I focused on delivering incredible experiences. Eventually, I realized that longevity comes from building the systems, processes, and team that make those experiences repeatable. Great ideas may start a business, but great systems are what allow it to thrive for years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wnorthconnect.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wnorthconnect/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wnorth/?viewAsMember=true
